Exercise could protect the brain from ageing

Washington: Exercise may increase the level of an enzyme which protects the brain from energy-depleting stress that can lead to ageing and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, a new study in mice has found. As we age or develop neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, our brain cells may not produce sufficient energy to remain fully functional.

Researchers discovered that an enzyme called SIRT3 that is located in mitochondria - the cell's powerhouse - may protect mice brains against the kinds of stresses believed to contribute to energy loss. Furthermore, mice that ran on a wheel increased their levels of this protective enzyme. Researchers led by Mark Mattson, of the National Institute on Ageing Intramural Research Programme and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in US, used a new animal model to study whether they could aid neurons in resisting the energy-depleting stress caused by neurotoxins and other factors.

According to the researchers, mice models that did not produce SIRT3 became highly sensitive to stress when exposed to neurotoxins that cause neurodegeneration and epileptic seizures. Running wheel exercise increased the amount of SIRT3 in neurons of normal mice and protected them against degeneration; in those lacking the enzyme, running failed to protect the neurons, the researchers said. The researchers also found that neurons could be protected against stress through use of a gene therapy technology to increase levels of SIRT3 in neurons.

These findings suggest that bolstering mitochondrial function and stress resistance by increasing SIRT3 levels may offer a promising therapeutic target for protecting against age-related cognitive decline and brain diseases. The study was published in the journal Cell Metabolism.